Merge To Grow: When Mission Outweighs Ego

A spiky cactus and a crowded snack aisle sparked a bigger mission: rewrite the story of Latin flavors on U.S. shelves. We sit down with Regina Trillo to unpack how Nemi Snacks emerged from representation, health, and heart—and why money wasn’t the only thing that fueled the journey. From the first pitch to sweaty palms, she turns fear into a trigger for preparation and practice, showing how showing up—again and again—becomes a founder’s superpower.

We take you inside a funding path many overlook: grants. Regina shares how she treated applications like a pipeline, recycled strong answers, and paired checks with mentorship and networks from programs like Hello Alice and major CPG accelerators. Then we move into the financial toolkit: bringing in a fractional CFO, forecasting with clarity, rightsizing cases, reshaping supplier terms, and using PO financing to bridge production without giving up equity. It’s a practical playbook for founders navigating margins, trade spend, and the steep cost of distribution.

The story pivots in a powerful way: instead of fundraising solo, Regina chose partnership. She merged Nemi Snacks with Todo Verde and TUYYO to form a new, unified brand—TUYYO—built on shared mission, complementary strengths, and zero ego. We break down the merger architecture: legal and operating agreements, SKU and supplier consolidation, retailer collaboration on brand design, and a clear division of roles. Most importantly, we talk pacing with intention: 1,100 existing doors provide a solid base while the team upgrades packaging, aligns ops, and gathers data before expanding further.

Threaded through it all is a human operating system: self-awareness, boundaries at home that protect energy, and a mission-first rule where the brand outranks any one product. If you’re building a culture-forward, better-for-you company—or just need a blueprint for courage, cash flow, and community—you’ll leave with tactics to act on today and a mantra to carry you forward: llorando pero caminando. Subscribe, share with a founder friend, and leave a review to help more builders find this conversation.

Connect with Keith on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithkohler1/

Transcript

Welcome And Guest Introduction

Regina Trillo 0:03

Hi everyone, it's Keith Kohler here, your financing man, and welcome to Lucky, yes, lucky episode 13 of How I Financed It. And again, by way of background, Azure Financing Man, I help you get the right financing at the right time, which is Transaction Me. And I meet you where you are and guide you along your financing journey, which is Transformation Me. So transaction plus transformation equals financing man. And really excited for today's guest, Rahina Trillo, who I'll shortly bring to the stage a really interesting story of financing and I would say personal growth. And uh I've known Rahina in other settings, so I can't wait to see what new ideas and what fresh stories she brings to the stage and shares with us today. So without further ado, I'm excited to bring Rajina Trillo onto the how I finance the stage. Hi, Keith. Thank you.

Keith Kohler 1:09

Yeah, can't wait to see what we come up with during our time together.

Regina Trillo 1:12

Hi, thank you for having me.

Origin Story: From Nopales To Nemi Snacks

Keith Kohler 1:14

Yeah, I'm really grateful that you're here. And um, Rehina, share with us a bit as we kick this off, a bit about when you came, when you started your business with Nemi Snacks and what was the origin behind that?

Regina Trillo 1:29

Yes, the origin is me being from Mexico City and moving to the US, to Chicago specifically for law school, and the experience that I had going into the grocery store and seeing that most of the Hispanic-inspired brands that I found at the grocery store were booted in stereotypes about Latin culture and cliches about our culture. And then I saw nopales, which is a prickly per paddle, a high fiber vegetable native to Mexico in the produce section. And I was so excited because I thought I'm gonna make you know the nopales dishes that it's very common to have in Mexico City and in other areas of Mexico. You find nopales in every single mercado, every grocery store. But as I was about to grab the nopal paddle, it had spikes. And I thought, who's gonna buy it?

Keith Kohler 2:14

Oh, what kind of spikes on it, really?

Regina Trillo 2:16

Which you you don't find them like that in Mexico, but I thought, who's gonna buy this intimidating looking vegetable? I didn't even want to touch it, and I knew what it was and how to cook with it. So I left the store feeling bummed that I knew this amazing plant was going to go to waste and feeling unrepresented. And I didn't think about starting a business at the time because I I don't know. I just I really liked what I do when I when I was an attorney here in Chicago working in at a nonprofit, and I didn't I just didn't think that I had the information that I needed to have to start a business. And then I realized that I kept seeing this image over and over at the store, and I kept having the same feeling. And then Flyby Jink came out, and it was one of the first brands that was a culture forward brand that was all about celebrating their culture, and I really think that that experience gave other Latino founders or potential Latino founders, you know, founders in in thinking about being founders or thinking about starting a business a little bit more confident to show up in a different way. And with that, I thought I keep seeing the same things over and over again. And at the time I was dealing with a health issue, I had endometriosis at the time, and I had to stay away from pretty much any seed oil, any anti-inflammatory food. And I was the one spending hours at the grocery store reading labels, and I couldn't, I love chips, and I couldn't find a snack that I it was all these different elements that came into kind of the conclusion of I haven't been in the industry, I don't know anything about the industry, but I'm gonna learn. And the first thing that I did was register at the hatchery here in Chicago on Food and Beverage Incubator in How to Start a Food Business 101.

Keith Kohler 4:14

And that was my first right right from right at square one.

Regina Trillo 4:18

Exacto. How do I do it? Because I also didn't have you know, anyone in the family or people that I knew that were in the food and beverage industry, they I really had any didn't have any network there. And that's how I started. I thought, okay, what would I make? I knew the ingredients I didn't want the product to have. All I knew was kind of my Latin background, and I'm very proud of my culture, and there is even a responsibility to it that I feel. So I knew that I wanted it to come from that space. And I went to Mexico and I started thinking about, you know, I'm gonna make this snack that you find in the street in Mexico called churritos, but I want to do the better for you version of churritos with all ingredients that I that I can eat. I want to work directly with the farmer, and that's how it started. And it started with my savings and with me not understanding anything about industry, which was really helpful because I didn't overwhelm myself with a lot of information at the time. And there's always fear, right? Like I think there's always this dance that we have to do with fear, and for sometimes it was paralyzing that I think that was something that prevented me from starting the business. But then it's eventually you start, it never goes, but you start working with it and you start using it in a way that actually makes you feel even you know safer. So that how that's how it all started. With my savings, with uh an idea of a mission to elevate our culture on the shelf, to create something that had real ingredients that still tasted good and that represented the culture the way that I that I thought it wasn't, and to really push back against, to stereotype that, not because something is Mexican or Latino, African, or any other culture, it's unhealthy, it's cheap, or it's low quality. So that's how I started the business.

Keith Kohler 6:15

Yeah, there's so much there, and I want to come back to some of the touch points, right? So I was blessed, as you know, to have lived in Mexico for three years in Guadalajara, and a year and eight months in Ciudad de Mexico, and I fondly remember nopales. Uh, some people would say cactus, right? Um, and the way I always ate it was as part of a salsa picada, so yeah, with um tomato and onion, and then putting it on a quesadilla or on tacos or something of that. So that's what I remember, and that's the way I always prepared it. Or um, or you'd go to a family's house and it would be un acompanamiento or whatever we call it. Great, see, and that was my romance because I remember eating it the first time going, What is this? Oh, it's cactus. What are you talking about? It's cactus. I know, I know, yes, yes, but it's awesome, great, probably very nutritious. I I have to confess I don't remember the nutrition profile, but certainly I'm sure something healthy. And I think about what you're thinking, Raina, because I think for a lot of people, they often associate Mexico and the US with only the Southwest, right? Yeah, and Tex-Mex, whatever that means. So, not surprising, the big food answer originally, because they dominated the snack food world, right? Was these Tex-Mex flavor profiles, right? Yes. I remember as a little kid, long before you came around, that the first Doritos was taco flavor.

Regina Trillo 7:58

Yes, yes.

Culture-Forward Brands And Market Shifts

Keith Kohler 7:59

That was the first, that's the one I remember. I remember the old school look and feel. And of course, the tacos I knew were only the lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, not what we see in Mexico or the you know, the the Al Pastor, whatever. So again, that's all I knew. So, not surprisingly, big food dominated the snack aisle and their flavor profiles, etc., for all this time, right? And so I'm right there with you. And I think what a lot of people, and maybe our viewers and listeners might not know, is that the Mexican population in Chicago is really large. It is really large, really large, not the Southwest US SUL. And a lot of people know in Florida there's very little from Mexico, but Chicago has a long history and a very well-ingrained and deeply rooted Mexican population. So I was wondering, in the Nopales, did you see that in a Latin supermarket, or did you see it in a more mainstream one?

Regina Trillo 9:00

No, I saw them at Whole Foods.

Keith Kohler 9:02

Awesome.

Regina Trillo 9:03

Okay, so I saw them at Whole Foods at the Latin grocery stores here. You find them and they don't have any spikes, and they come exactly. They're ready in a bag, they're chopped up, or they're in a tray, and there's you know, it's the nopal just without the spikes. But um, this was a Whole Foods, yeah, which I was actually very excited about.

Keith Kohler 9:25

Yeah, that's really cool because clearly the buyer there knew that there was a market for it and that it was gonna sell.

Regina Trillo 9:32

Yeah.

Keith Kohler 9:33

And I think another touch point that's interesting too, and I have three, and I'll get the second one is I 100% agree. He what we've all observed, and we've even seen this in the data that you might see presented at Expo West about trends, yeah, uh, macro trends, is a general market uh uh idea across all races, all demographics, all age groups, that hey, international flavors are exciting. And let's go on a journey, right? And I'm interested, it's almost like you have your little passport saying, hey, I really am excited to look at all flavor profiles and try new products. And you had been part of, as you said, a wave of um heritage brands, right? Yeah, yeah, that's even the name, right? Heritage brands of generally better for you products that are different from the more general market big food Latinization, Asianization, whatever we want to call it. Right now, kind of a return to almost like a combination of grandmother's recipes, right? And these this is what I grew up in my family, or again, finding a new, a better and fresh way. As you said, I saw churros at home, but maybe I can make something different that has a healthier profile.

Regina Trillo 10:53

So yeah, yes.

Keith Kohler 10:54

That's really exciting. And again, you are part of that wave and you created part of that wave.

Regina Trillo 10:59

Thank you, Keith.

Keith Kohler 11:00

Yeah, because again, when I first saw your price, I was so excited because I had never seen anything like it. Especially in a shelf stable snack, yes, live in person in street stalls or in other locations. And the third thing that strikes me about you, which I loved, is you had said you used your fear or not knowingness as a superpower as saying, hey, I'm going in so fresh and cold and ready that I think you've many people would say, There's no way I'm doing this. I don't know what I'm doing, I don't know where to start. And yet you had that trust that, hey, me not knowing is actually an advantage.

Regina Trillo 11:43

Yeah.

Keith Kohler 11:44

And I'm curious to explore that a bit more with you.

Using Fear As A Superpower

Regina Trillo 11:47

Yes, and there was actually a very simple example that I had at the time, not from personal experience, but from what I was seeing. And that was actually parenthood, you know, motherhood and parenthood, because I was, you know, having these conversations with friends, uh, and and they were so scared about becoming a parent. And then the baby's here. What are you gonna do? You have to parent the baby, what are you gonna do? You have no other choice. There's of course some differences between starting a business, doing it, and showing up than with parenthood, but it was that feeling of I am doing it, even though I am still, I still have no idea in a way, kind of what I am doing, but I am figuring out as I do it. And to me, that was a very powerful lesson because becoming what you want to be comes from practicing what you want to be. So, what do I want to practice? And what do I need to practice? And I think this is applicable to a business and to personal life and to spiritual life and to in a relationship of I I feel this pit in my stomach because I feel fear, because I feel insecure, because I don't feel like at that moment I have the information that I need. And I even remember the first pitch that I did of Nemi. I signed up and I knew that I had no idea. You know, I this was like seven years ago, Keith. And I remember like I Googled lifetime, right? It feels like because there's so much, yes, the resources and access to resources have changed so fast and so much. And I talked to, you know, some people that I knew that had done pitches and I, you know, researched and YouTube and kind of got my pitch together. I saw it the other day, and it's it's I mean, I was laughing at myself because of that in a very, you know, in a in a nostalgic way. And I knew that I was gonna kind of it would be embarrassing. And it was in a way because there were questions at the end of the pitch, and I remember having no idea what to answer to some of the questions, but I still answered some and I was sweating the whole time. You couldn't really notice that, but I knew I was feeling the heat inside. And I finished that and I thought, I knew this was gonna be hard, but I knew that I had to do it to get more comfortable in this space. And you're gonna have all there's always gonna be that first buyer's meeting, that first line review that you're gonna do that maybe you have really good resources, which are amazing if you do, and use them if you have them, of getting that support. But then it's two, I think there's two components to this um fear that you're talking about. One is you have to keep showing up for yourself. Like if you really want to do this, just keep showing up for yourself and where you want to be and practice that because eventually it can take you to a place where there's just more comfort in that space of fear. And then the moment also, when now I realize I feel that fear, and it's a very feeling over and over again in my body, is it's just a message to prepare better. And there is a limit to that, right? Like there's as much as I can do with what I have, but it's just that feeling of satisfaction of I've rehearsed it so many times, I've read so much about this, I've talked to so many people about it, and then it's like I've done what I think there's as much as I could do, and then it's now okay, I'm I'm gonna show up just the way that I am right now with what I have, and there's a trust process into that. So it's been a great path.

Keith Kohler 15:29

When you said fear and you have a physiology, is there a place in your body where you feel that?

Regina Trillo 15:35

Yes, it tends to be in this area, and there's heat, and I feel a pit in my stomach. And I actually did somatic therapy also to connect with all these emotions and name the emotions and work with the emotions, and it's usually it's the same. And then I start sweating a little bit too. You won't see it because it's not noticeable for you to see it, but I feel it.

Keith Kohler 16:00

Is it on your palms and kind of underneath your clothing? Is that where it is?

Regina Trillo 16:04

It doesn't show up obviously in your forehead or something, it's not on my palms and it's not on my face, it's just like in this area a little bit. So I also wear if I'm gonna do if I'm in a pitch competition or if I'm gonna do something live, I wear colors that help me feel more comfortable too. I'm not gonna wear, you know, like a bright pink silk top where if there is a little sweat, they're gonna know it. So I'm also conscious of that. And in a way that is okay, how can I make myself feel more comfortable? And what is it that I need to put myself in a situation where I'm just gonna I know that I'm gonna and I'm gonna I'm gonna do better and be better if I if I feel better about it.

Keith Kohler 16:52

I really appreciate this line of discussion, Urhina, because fear is a thing. See, it really is a thing, particularly in any industry and any part of entrepreneurs' journey. And as you were sharing your physiology of this, it that's a common area for many people, right? For me, it's the amygdala and the brain. Oh wow, which is that's the caveman brain, or system one, as uh Dr. Di Martini's, I think he calls it that. So remember fight or flight, right? See, so fight or flight for me, my amygdala gets so activated that it's it's like it's a balloon blowing up inside my head. The I feel the pressure, I feel the intensity. It's like it captures all the energy in my brain and it brings it all there and it concentrates. And the funny thing is, I think the difference between you and me on that is my chemistry that comes out of that and the physiology that results in it is more flight. Okay. In your case, fight, right? Yeah, which is I think fear is I'm gonna go do it, right? I'm gonna get excited, I'm gonna get prepared.

Regina Trillo 18:08

Yes.

Keith Kohler 18:09

And what a dance, right? Because fear can cripple us and bring us down. And that has mainly been my case. Although there are times when it is me, you back me into corner, I'm ready to come out swinging. There's that I find that I still dance between it, but I'm now happily more likely to be where you are of fight. Like, oh yeah, you got me in a corner, or this thing's gonna happen. I'm gonna come out stronger, I'm gonna figure out how to do this, I'm gonna learn, I'm gonna, in your case, join the hatchery. I'm gonna, I'm gonna put myself in these situations. And I really applaud you of saying, I'm gonna get out there and pitch. And even if I know that it's not gonna go successfully, but I'm still gonna get out there. And that's such a huge superpower of yours. And I really witnessed that.

Self-Awareness, Boundaries, And Support

Regina Trillo 18:59

Thank you, Keith. And it's it's been it's been a journey, and it still is, and it's a never-ending journey. You know, I do think that entrepreneurship, just as life, is it's it's it's uh it's an exhilarating and it's a fascinating and also a scary journey as well, everything in in one space. And we've talked about how I call entrepreneurship the catwalk of insecurities, because everything comes out. It's an experience that requires so much from you, and it requires you showing up in ways that most of the time are uncomfortable that first time because it changes so fast that that's just the nature of it. And we have two choices. No, we have the the choice of okay, do I want to keep doing this? And there's so much uncertainty in the path, and then how am I going to help myself do this, considering that there's so much of it that I don't know, that I don't know the result of so many things that I'm gonna be doing and trying, and that there's also a lot of rejection in the space. And I think it's it's this constant of at the beginning, I remember going into that first store to sell my product, and I was I was there, I was afraid, and I remember even asking the questions, and you could also hear it. You know how the voice the voice sound of your voice, and I was like, Okay, I need I want to work on my voice now because my voice is coming out in a way that it's just I'm just projecting fear, and that is not gonna be absorbed the way that I want it to, with the buyer or the person that I'm talking with. And it was all these little things that okay, so I'm afraid of let's say going to a store and asking questions and talking to the manager. I'm gonna do more of that because eventually doing more of that is gonna put me in a position where I feel good and confident about it. And there's still I still prepare for that, right? Like there's still different buyers that I connect with, and there's still that that piece of uncertainty that is always with me to some extent. But I work with it. It's my partner now, it's not my antagonist, it's just my friend. And we work together in a way that I'm very grateful for what it's done and keeps doing for me because of kind of having that awareness. But um, it's a constant journey with that.

Keith Kohler 21:26

Yeah, there's so much here. And if you don't mind if I interject a little bit of my personal journey, is social anxiety for me was so crippling for so many years. And what it resulted in was me taking myself out of the game.

Regina Trillo 21:43

Yeah.

Keith Kohler 21:44

Way too often.

Regina Trillo 21:45

Which is a natural thing to do.

Keith Kohler 21:47

It is an actual thing, and it's a coping strategy for as one part. But what I did learn this year or 2025, happily, once I worked with a psychologist in addition to a coach, is when I finally understood how my brain. Brain worked, the neurology, the neuroscience of okay, the amygdala is going. So that's not surprising that the chemicals do this and it makes me feel this way. But in the cognitive behavioral therapy, the CBT, which is okay, great, you got this. What are you going to do about it?

Regina Trillo 22:17

Yeah.

Keith Kohler 22:17

One of the ways, one of the things called, and it's similar to what you're talking about, is exposure therapy. And for me, now the parallel in like a social life versus a business life is you getting in front of buyers, you getting in front of investors. You got out there and in there because you said, Hey, I'm going to do it anyway, even if it's fearful and I'm sweating underneath my clothes. For me, it was going to loud restaurants.

Regina Trillo 22:42

Yes. Yeah.

Keith Kohler 22:43

Right. And you're sitting there and it's like, I can't move for an hour, and I've got to eat my meal, and I can't rush my guest who's with me. And that's my continual way back. And it's, it's, it's where I face the most fear still.

Regina Trillo 23:01

Yeah.

Keith Kohler 23:01

Once I get there, and if I can be in it and in my, and I still feel like I want to expose myself to, because why take yourself out of the game? Because our the social aspect of entrepreneurship of receptions or other things is a big part of the game and part of the journey, don't you think?

Regina Trillo 23:19

Yes. And you touch on something that I think is one of is a key component, particularly for entrepreneurship, which is self-awareness.

Keith Kohler 23:28

Yes.

Regina Trillo 23:29

And again, for a lot of different aspects in our lives, but self-awareness. And some of that comes from our daily practice of whatever we want that to be, but just having something that connects me in a way that I am capable of verbalizing or at least feeling and naming that feeling of what is making me feel uncomfortable? What do I want? What do I need to transition to this space? And there's, you know, that path is uncomfortable. Just it tends to be, you know, that like learning.

Keith Kohler 23:58

Oh, it certainly can be, right?

Regina Trillo 23:59

CCC, see. But then also the outside of things that maybe I don't realize about myself and having that support network. And in my case, I my I don't live, my family's in Mexico City, but I live with my husband. And that person that I am with most of the time is him. And I tell him, the moment that you see I am doing this or this or this, because I love working and I love what I do and I love people. And I it's very easy for me to get just deep into I've been working for 12 hours and I didn't even realize that 12 hours passed. And I tell him, the moment you see that I am kind of getting too much into my zone and getting a little bit disconnected from you and our partner life, you need please let me know. And please let me know, like, hey, you're taking a little bit too far, or and and you have my permission to tell me, right? Like these are the things that I I'm asking you to please tell me because I know that those are my, I don't know how would you call them, but you know, those things that can't play for the good and not the very good in your life, that they serve really well, but at the same time, if I overextend it, it's gonna affect me and my surroundings. So I think it's that self-awareness of what I know about myself and what I what I know I think I want and I need and want to do and need to do, but also what I maybe not realize outside that I have somebody that I trust that can come to me and say, like, hey, I'm noticing this or I'm seeing this.

Keith Kohler 25:34

You're bringing up something really interesting that I had in my discussion with my coach. Some people might call that a discussion on boundaries, right? Mm-hmm. See, and I think boundaries can be an interesting word because it can imply okay, if it's outside of this, it's not acceptable. Right. What he asked me to do was perhaps reframe the word to agreements.

Regina Trillo 25:56

Yeah, yeah.

Keith Kohler 25:57

That, hey, here you have made and you have brought forth agreements with you and your husband in your your relationship.

Regina Trillo 26:06

Yeah.

Keith Kohler 26:07

And say, hey, these are if I'm agreeing that if you're seeing this, you you have the opportunity and the right to say, hey, maybe that's not what we agreed to. Let's do something different or work on it. Is that would that be a fair way of assessing it?

Regina Trillo 26:24

Yes, and actually it is, it is agreements and that is specific things. So for example, we cook every night together and we have dinner together mostly every night. And I tell him, if I am, you know, if it's 7 p.m. I'm still at the computer, drag me away from it. No, you can drag me away from it. You know, unless there's like something important that I really have to prepare that probably if there is, we already talked about it because we check in about that also like our and with our schedules and things going on um professionally and and emotionally, but it's also priorities too. And I and it's this kind of constant prioritizing of, and it's hard, eh? I'm not it, I don't think it's easy. I'm still figuring it out because it has a lot to do with time management and emotional management, but it's about prioritizing and really thinking about what are going to be your guardrails and you know, talking about about my husband. Um, you know, the thing that I am the most proud of is my marriage as of today, and that is that really is a priority to to me and to us.

Keith Kohler 27:33

I'm laughing because it's it's kind of perfect. I was going to ask you to talk a little bit more about your husband and his role, and I think you shared it. Is it's really a great supporting actor role, isn't it?

Regina Trillo 27:44

Oh, yes, yes, yes, and being with him is is one of the greatest gifts, and we are uh conscious about sharing that with each other. And I'm very lucky to be with somebody who always tells me that I can be whatever I want in life, except for a basketball player because I'm 5'1, but anything else for that, Argina, you never know.

Keith Kohler 28:08

You might create that business.

Regina Trillo 28:10

Come on, I I I I cannot even throw the ball. It's too heavy.

Keith Kohler 28:18

Of course, the perfect irony one day would be if Nemi Snacks sponsored a basketball team, basketball team, and we're served at an arena for basketball games, right?

Regina Trillo 28:28

Exacto, exacto. I'm on the side of it, but I'm in it.

Keith Kohler 28:32

Hey, hello, Chicago Bulls. I've got something for you. Yes, and the NBA team is next for the recovery. What's the WNBA team in Chicago? What's the name?

Regina Trillo 28:42

I no séky.

Keith Kohler 28:43

I can't remember. Apologies to everybody. I didn't have that top of mind. Apologies, everybody. No, no, Jordan Chicago Bulls, that's easy. Everybody knows it, but I'll I'll get that name. But wouldn't that be awesome if you were a part of that?

Regina Trillo 28:55

That would be amazing. That would be a good idea, eh? It's a good idea.

Keith Kohler 28:58

Yeah, and they're always looking for fun stuff. I think that would be a profile of consumer to be interested.

Regina Trillo 29:04

That's gonna be on the pipeline now. Thank you for that idea.

Keith Kohler 29:07

Let's get that deal done.

Regina Trillo 29:08

Exactly.

Keith Kohler 29:10

Thank you for allowing me to go down all these energetic pathways with you because we happily I know you in that way.

Regina Trillo 29:18

Yeah.

Keith Kohler 29:19

Oh, we got we just got my producer Danica gave a Chicago Sky. Thank you.

Regina Trillo 29:23

Oh, thank you, Danica.

Keith Kohler 29:24

Thank you for listening. We need you. Nemmy Snacks is coming for you. We're gonna be coming and having you sell the uh the product to your fans. It's gotta happen. It's gotta happen. Um, thank you for all of that allowing me to go and in this broad discussion.

Regina Trillo 29:41

Oh, yes, yes.

Keith Kohler 29:42

Um, I am gonna go back a little bit to the hatchery. And you said when you went in, you were funding it yourself, right? Self-funding in the beginning.

Regina Trillo 29:50

Yes, but then the grants came along.

Grant Funding: Money Plus Mentorship

Keith Kohler 29:54

Oh, grants. Tell me a bit about that.

Regina Trillo 29:56

That was how I funded most of the business, actually. So this was in late 2019, early 2020. And it was that with COVID and a lot of things happened socially that year, you know, with George Floyd and everything that was happening with um in the community, a lot of grants started coming out for small businesses, women-owned, minority-owned businesses.

Keith Kohler 30:18

I remember that there was a large proliferation of them.

Regina Trillo 30:21

See, there was a lot of attention in that space, and that's when I there were so many opportunities. And every grant that I learned about, I I I applied to from 2500 to 10 to 20 to 25, 30k, and I would just apply. And eventually you start seeing that the questions for in grant applications, they're very similar. Why did you start? How are you gonna grow? What are you gonna use the money for? So then it became easier in a way that it didn't take, because a lot of people would say, I don't apply for grants because it takes so much time. It does take time, and every grant is different. But if you know the why you started, how you're growing your business, what are you gonna use the money for, which are very fundamental questions that I think all of us should know, regardless of applying to a grant or not applying to, and if we are aware of our numbers, then it then it's it starts becoming easier. And then there were some pitch competitions too that I applied to, and and so that's how I started funding my business. And I always also not growing fast, right? Like if the fastest you want to grow, the more cash you will need for that growth, yeah.

Keith Kohler 31:35

And early on, we know it's it's no one has a perfect answer to understand cash requirements, particularly in the early stages. Right. We just don't know how we're going to grow or what could be the breakthrough.

Regina Trillo 31:45

No, no, no.

Keith Kohler 31:47

I really appreciate that you brought grants into the mix because yes, the number one thing I hear is it takes too long. And yet, happily, you saw there's a bit of cut and paste once you've done one exceptionally well, that there's similarities in questions and and uh application forms and things like that, right?

Regina Trillo 32:06

Yes, and you know, also what comes with the grants that I didn't know about it when I first started applying. Yes, it's the money, but then it's the networking that you start getting from the people that you get mentored from the grant. There were some grants that were mentorship grants, there were some that were had an accelerator component to it.

Keith Kohler 32:25

Oh, brilliant.

Regina Trillo 32:26

So that was a target grant that was really, really good. The PepsiCo grant, that was another amazing grant as well. And you, that process of learning from people that have been doing this for many years and getting that feedback and that honest feedback because they're gonna look into your business and they're coming, that's their job. They need to tell you what's wrong, where's the opportunity, and how can you do better? And having the access to those resources, that to me was even more beneficial because that transcended the money. The money comes into your account and you're gonna spend it. And maybe you spend it within two weeks, within a month, two months, whatever your projections are. But then you stay along with the mentors, and there's most of them I still connect with.

Keith Kohler 33:10

That's brilliant. And again, I'm really glad you brought up grants because um it's an area I don't know much about. Yeah. When people ask me, I try to make sure I'm a resource for them in Googling and looking at here are the latest grants out there. And you're great at it. Are there directories or specific resources? And maybe I'll make I'll make those available to people. But um, yeah, sometimes people don't know where to look, right? Or they're not aware.

Regina Trillo 33:38

Yes, helloalice.com.

Keith Kohler 33:40

Hello, Alice.

Regina Trillo 33:41

Hello Alice.com is a great website that pulls a lot of the grants that are open or the ones that are going to be open. Ladies who launch, L-A-U-N-C-H, ladies who launch. Ladies who launch, they had their own accelerator and grant, and now they've transitioned, but they also pull a ton of open grants and applications. And then being involved with whatever your local food and bev network is, either naturally or the hatchery here in the Midwest or Included or Project Potluck, they also do a great job sharing their grants and food bevy as well.

Keith Kohler 34:15

Brilliant. I'll make sure to make all those resources available for our listeners and our viewers. So thank you for sharing all of that. Because that's again an often overlooked area or one where people think, oh, this is too overwhelming for me to even start. But um, I'm glad that it worked out for you. And I really appreciate what you're saying that for you, it's been money plus plus with the resources and the network. And I imagine for you, I mean, you had lessons that I'm sure came across, hey, I'm doing this really well. And then people saying, no, this is way off, right? And yet you embraced both of them, saying, Great, I can improve, I can, I can work harder on this, I can do a little less here, a little more there. Did any time you never felt like someone was being too critical or or being perhaps trying to legislate a way for you to do things that was not aligned with you?

Regina Trillo 35:07

Too critical, yes, but I appreciated that.

Keith Kohler 35:10

Yeah.

Regina Trillo 35:11

And that was a kind of mentor that I'm I'm constantly looking for. I really want, you know, I want you to take a look at what I'm doing, and if it's good, but I also please wear the hat of scrutinizing what I'm doing because there is opportunity to do it better. And with that, I'm not saying that, you know, not in a punish, punishing kind of way, but that can be a very loving way of saying it and looking at it.

Keith Kohler 35:32

Um yeah, and you know, I think you just said a really key word that resonates, a loving way. See, and the opposite is I'm being judged, right? Or I'm being criticized. And sometimes that's what entrepreneurs were, we all have felt that way at times, right? Even though if someone's giving direct feedback, we can often choose to say, wow, they're really helping me try to build my business, or no, I'm feeling attacked or judged. And you can chance between those feelings, right?

Regina Trillo 36:02

That will happen too. You know, there will be a lot of judgment. There will be people, and it's happened to me too, that I've connected with that don't fully understand maybe the Latino consumer or the potential for culture forward brands. And then there that there's a misalignment there. And it's okay, it happens, and it will it's it's part of the process too.

Keith Kohler 36:24

And I can appreciate you saying that, hey, that's okay. See, we're just not there because sometimes we have seen conflict, particularly in that area, where there might be again, you're I think you're using a term which is is important, cultural misalignment. But oftentimes we'll hear, oh, well, he doesn't get it or she doesn't get it. They must be a certain way, or or they're so insensitive. I don't want to work with someone like that. I'm proud to hear from you that you didn't really dismiss it or or say anything more than, you know, it's this it's this misalignment, right?

Regina Trillo 36:59

No, and honestly, in my case, it was coming from people that I respect. And and people that I look up to, and people that have done really good things in the industry and outside of the industry, and it's just, you know, it's not a popularity contest either. No, these things are going to happen and it's normal.

Keith Kohler 37:19

That's so true. And many people they just don't know what they don't know. Yeah. Right. And yet, I think the positive side of that is again, you being part of this new wave, more people know it now. More people are aware of the Better For You brands, the heritage brands, because they're both consumers and they see the trends. Yeah. So the greater amount of familiarity in the broader ecosystem, I think, is there. And particularly, I think it's being fueled by young consumers who grew up in a more diverse ethnically, demographically, racially, gender, all that stuff. They grew up in a greater diversification of their environments, whether it was their schools or their neighborhoods or their associations or everything. And so I think that just uh that awareness is out there, and that's like that's where it all starts.

Financial Maturity And PO Financing

Regina Trillo 38:12

Yes, and you said something, you touched on something that when you were talking about the grants, and you said you realized that it wasn't it was about money and more and more. It's always about more and more, in the sense that it's not only about money. Growing a business is not only about having the capital to grow the business, it's about much more than that. And I realize that as we grow, no, and as we evolve and as we just continue this path of, and to me, that was a question that became a very recurrent question last year. Of I know that there's something that's missing, I know that there's something that's out there that I want to tap into. I still don't know what it is, but it's not only about me getting the capital to grow the business in a faster way, no, because also I I with because of I, you know, I was getting funded by the grants, and we had really good margins since the beginning.

Keith Kohler 39:14

And that was an amazing that is manna from heaven.

Regina Trillo 39:19

That was on that changed because and I I I see it now, no, like even with with the transition that we're going through, but having those good margins, very healthy since the beginning. And granted, I wasn't doing a ton of marketing at the beginning, and I would, there were there wasn't much trade spend, and there were costs that were not cutting the any of that, but growing, you know, coming from a healthy space to eventually what's going to take you to distribution, to trade spend, to growing, that helped me a lot because everything was reinvested in the business, but I was able to continue producing more, you know, not in you know, not huge or or much bigger productions because there was also there were cash limitations. But I was able to keep going without having to explore for some time other opportunities. And then I think the beauty of also being limited in that way is it takes you back to, okay, this is what I have, so I'm gonna renegotiate my agreements with the co-manufacturer or with my suppliers. I'm gonna renegotiate this, or I'm gonna do the 1% or 2% off the invoice so that I can get paid within 15 days instead of net 30 or net 60. So it takes you to start really thinking creatively about you need to be able to fund your business. How are you gonna be funding and how are you gonna make sure that you have cash, the cash that you need? No.

Keith Kohler 40:42

And yeah, you led me perfectly. So after the grants, what was the next step after that? What did you look into for funding?

Regina Trillo 40:50

Yeah, so the next step was me learning significantly more about finances. So I brought in my brother as a fractional CFO, and this was in 2022. And the experience of working with him changed my whole perspective about how I was looking at it because I was also looking at it from a very limited perspective. And that was because I just didn't have the information. And when I started learning more about it and learning about, okay, this is gonna take me there, and this is gonna last for this amount of time. If I do A, B, and C, or maybe if I do it differently, it's gonna be there for a less amount of time, or just getting the information, the numbers that I needed to really forecast in a more just cost-efficient and productive way. And then after that, we started doing PO financing as well and renegotiating terms and also looking at our case sizing and looking at everything that was hitting into those margins and the communication with the suppliers that has always been a constant. Um and you know, thinking about do we need, you know, if if we change this slight ingredient without compromising on quality, because that has that's that's the thing. No, you want to continue having a product that people appreciate, that people look, that it's still made with real ingredients, it's high quality, and that was part of the mission too. So without compromising on that, and then creating the discipline to look at the okay, what other things can we do? Um, so PM financing came next, and then grants were still a constant. Great, okay, and that was it. And then last year, that's when I started questioning a little bit more and talking to people in the industry, including yourself, of what's gonna be my next step when it comes to funding. And I was about to fundraise and I organized everything, and I had the deck, and I started talking. Remember, I talked to you too about this, and you checked, you actually checked our our financials too, and and you were very kind and gracious, by the way.

Keith Kohler 42:58

Thank you. I appreciate that.

Regina Trillo 43:00

Um, and then it was early summer, and again, going back to there's something here that I don't know what it is, but I know it's something that deserves my attention, and I I'm trying to try to figure out what it is, and there was a part of it that felt uncomfortable in a way that was not fear of asking for money because I've never done it before, or fear of putting myself out there in a different way. It was something else, and that's when I realized that I didn't want to continue growing the business by myself. Um I had the experience of working with Dati, who is uh my business partner in the other business in Gifted Breath. She's a founder of the business, and I I joined two years and a half ago. And the experience of us growing and doing and uh sharing everything in the business and supporting each other has was amazing. And I thought I can see the result of this. I really see how I actually work much better when I'm in community. And I wanted to do that for Nemi. I never thought about letting it go. That was just never that something that crossed my mind. But I just I I I want to change something and if it's going to be a change, I want it to be something significant that significantly affects our mission and the business.

Keith Kohler 44:26

So you knew that the alignment of mission and business was and vision was really critical.

Regina Trillo 44:34

Yes.

Keith Kohler 44:34

As much as the financials and the business opportunity.

Regina Trillo 44:37

Yes and it coincided with me having a conversation with Jocelyn who's the founder of Todo Verde in 2024. We were doing demos together around Texas and some of the stories.

Keith Kohler 44:49

Okay.

Choosing Partnership Over Solo Growth

Regina Trillo 44:49

So you were already you really say simpatizaron no like and and that that's actually something that a lot of you see a lot of women founders do. There is a big camaraderie support group with women founders in the industry. And it's been amazing because we are constantly sharing resources. We know that we cannot really do this on our own or by ourselves. So I it's all you know you hey can I get into this store can you do an intro or I'm going to be there can you go in and check my merchandising or I have a you know I have a question about my financials or my pitch deck. Can you look at it and can you share yours? So it's very open and I really appreciate that being in that space. And we had the conversation about what if we were what if we did this together? How would it look like and wouldn't it be amazing and we dreamt about it but it stayed there. And then in the summer I was thinking okay maybe I bring a co-founder maybe I bring a COO maybe what what is it that I need um that goes beyond capital and we talked again and I called her and I was like jos I'm ready and she had she had been at Newtopia that weekend prior to us having the conversation and she had talked to Stephanie Garcia who's the founder of Tuyo the powdered aguafrescas. Oh Tuyo of course yeah yeah and Tuyo had that conversation with Jos at Newtopia so she told me I just talked about that with Steph and I'd known Steph from Chicago from like eight years ago and we kept in touch and we were seeing each other in the industry and at trade shows. And that's when the three of us came together and we were serious about it. So we planned a retreat a three-day in-person retreat here in Chicago all day and we got together and we were like okay we we want to think this through we really want to do that you know because in a way um we were already connected and sharing resources we were supporting one another and then as we did this we realized that there really was an opportunity to create something stronger as a partnership with the same mission rather than our own you know I we felt like we were building different expressions of of the same mission. And that's when it really came together and we talked about our strengths our weaknesses what we liked what we didn't our vision if we were to do this what was what did we envision would by doing this and why we wanted to do this.

Keith Kohler 47:20

So then that's where it all started pretty much I wanted to let that ring in the room a second because I really want to witness you thank you because what was interesting about what you just said not just because it is interesting on its own is you focused on we're coming together again because we're mission aligned to vision you did not say in any of that because we can grow a 20 million dollar business together and we can exit in other words you didn't say a financial metric or something right you didn't say because of synergies and efficiencies. Now of course that's going to happen too right but I love that you led off with the energetic yeah and I'm curious as you went through that and you created that retreat yeah that could be such a powerful example for there are a lot of founders out there you know currently who are who have who are perhaps thinking about and had that same inquiet that same there's something missing I'm not quite sure. And I think your example can serve as a superb example for a lot of brands who yes it's part struggle and yet it's part opportunity which is maybe I don't have to do this alone or maybe I'm better off combining forces with whatever it means in mission, vision alignment that it will work better if I'm doing it in collaboration with someone yeah because lots of brands have gone out of business and we know that that's usually the as much a function of money I can't find the money I don't the cash as I'm seeing as much as I'm exhausted. I had to do this all alone. I never really felt all that supported and what makes me sad is oftentimes um one blessing of my age my experience and my time speaking with hundreds of founders is when they do come to me and say I'm I'm calling it quits is sometimes I do see hmm there maybe could have been a different outcome. See yeah and I think I wonder what your experience is Orahina is and I'm sure you would have that superpower too to see wait if maybe he or she had reached out six months ago maybe there could have been a way to merge somewhere else or to look at a different path. Yeah like in other words the business fundamentals were there yes but maybe it wasn't seen and sometimes to be honest and sometimes founders will hide under a rock right yeah yeah or just not confront what's real or what's not so I really am so excited that you had that awareness and you explored it you're curious and I see the pattern is very short in this time we spent together you've certainly shown that pattern so what is that now going to look like as the merger yes so now the three are three independent brands Nemi Snacks Todo Verde Tuyo merge into one brand called Tuyo and we had different conversations with attorneys and operators and we decided that that was going to be kind of the best step forward I was the first one to let go of Nemi as a name as a because I knew that the consumer didn't understand what it was there was a lot of education to do with that name and an explanation of what the snack was so based on consumer data I knew that hey like this is what I have and this is why I really don't think NEMI is going to work so we should let that go.

Designing A Mission-Aligned Merger

Regina Trillo 51:03

And since the beginning I think a very an important thing about mergers and partnerships isn't the ego component too. Yes yes yes yes so since the beginning with the three of us because then we had a finance retreat and there was a lot you know for for the person that that did the finance retweet with us he was like at the end of the retreat he said you know I really like what you're doing and I don't see any egos in this partnership. Yeah and I really appreciate that. And we knew I think since the beginning you know us coming together and the way that we had already been working together and it it it it felt like a just like a very natural and really just a an obvious next step to do for us. And it's not about our products independently it's not about our brands where they were it's about the new brand and what that means and what that mission is. So even we talked about if for some reason one of the products that are coming in doesn't work it's out because it's not about the product it's about the brand so I think us really being able to because maybe we had been in the industry for about five to six years already and we understood how hard it is and what it takes and we had been doing it all alone pretty much pretty much all bootstrapped the three of us I think we we came along with a with a different understanding of why we wanted to do it and why this partnership meant so much to us and the mission to the point where we saw it as the only way forward the only way to take this mission forward is if we do it together.

Keith Kohler 52:50

Oh brilliant and I imagine you've also set up the structures too right we did we did so everybody like what are those types of structures that make the most sense once you've concluded a merger?

Regina Trillo 53:02

Yes well it depends on how you do it. In our case we ended up in merging into a company that was already that already exists. So there needs to be there's merger documents operating agreements um non-disclosure agreements confidentiality and then the administrative portion of that so updating your articles of incorporation we kept our tax number EIM number so we didn't have to do much on that side and then too big deal that's illegal and then there's the operational the operational we brought in retailers since the beginning when we started thinking about this because we have a relationship with them and we care about it. So we brought them in and they were part of the design process we got a designer from a recommendation from someone in the industry.

Keith Kohler 53:47

So we started working on the new brand we have to change our SKUs we have to consolidate ideally suppliers and co-manufacturers and that's kind of the part that I am taking on for the operations piece of okay now we're three different or four different commands how can we really make this cost efficient and bring the resources together and optimize as much as we can so it it we kind of bucketed the conversations into four different pieces legal, operation financial and branding and marketing and then each of us we kind of naturally kind of went into these different roles based on when we did that in-person retreat of what what do we do best what do we feel comfortable with what do we like doing and what also makes us cringe right like maybe like with our personality traits like you know I have a tendency for this or I have a tendency and how can we all at the end work with one another and support each other because it's it's more than us it goes beyond the three of us I had to let that ring in the room too right um it's more than us it goes beyond us it does I mean it's it's really yeah but you know you know you're the you're the best and it you okay thank you you know that and you're you're the coolest to talk to because what's exciting so much about talking to you is so much can be talked about in mindset and energetics. We didn't touch even spirituality but that's okay that can be another time um all of those dimensionalities of business and energy and relationships and mission and vision the package that you have and your journey is so integrated beautifully integrated and I really just I really appreciate how you have shown up for yourself and it's very inspiring to me as well because in my own work it reminds me of how I feel a little I feel a lot more prepared now to be who you were seven years ago when you said okay I've got the fear and I'm doing it anyway. I feel much more empowered now thank you for providing that inspiration to me.

Regina Trillo 56:24

Oh thank you Keith I mean but that's that's all our journey with everything new that we try or everything different that we try and we're really doing the best with what we have and with what we can and it's different seasons and seasons change and it's hard to go through those changes too because it requires a lot of things but what you what you were mentioning about the integration of that's exactly how I felt in this process and that's exactly how and I think for the three of us and you know thank you for your kind words about the spirituality component but you need to meet Jocelyn my co-founder she's beyond you're gonna love her. I'm ready she's gonna be at expo we'll we'll see you you're gonna be at expo right yes yes we'll see you there but see I it was this constant feeling last year of there's something else and I don't know what it is and there's something different and there's something here and I will figure it out and I have to create the space to figure it out and that's the thing right like when it when we talk about self-awareness when we talk about how can we feel more integrated how can I create whatever I want to how I don't know you need to create the space you need to create the time for that it doesn't come naturally because there's so many things going on our to-do lists keep growing so the intentionality is such a it's such a critical piece behind that and and it was so that when we started having the conversation and we started kind of doing everything everything started falling in a very natural way we got the attorneys from a pro bono project that took us on and we were able to do like a really good deal with the we we brought on an expert operator to kind of look at how we were doing things independently and how to bring all of this together. And that was a pro bono project for him too so a lot of things just worked for us to actually do it in a way that was very informative for us to make a good decision coming next, right? Because right now where we're going and even how we're starting together as a merger we are not expanding the first year year and a half we are working with the retailers we're currently in and those are enough retailers it's um 1100 doors that we're currently in a great working with them you know just trying to get our new SKUs in of the products that are not currently in some of those stores and trying to get that brand recognition in and where we're starting and how we just keep working with the retailers that we're currently in and getting that data story and then taking it from there to that next stage building a solid foundation see yes and happily not un not under pressure either outside or internally to oh you immediately have to grow into something huge right away yes um as we conclude our time together first of all I'm not surprised the name Tuyo yeah you know what it means for everybody's benefit that means yours or your or you and me you and me actually thank you for that you and me as well and what a magical name right yes because I think what you can say is you have built a not just a brand in name but in spirit mission and vision that is also that yes it is uniquely you and me isn't uniquely yours.

Legal, Ops, And Brand Integration

Keith Kohler 59:58

So how beautiful and I have no doubt that many many things will come as a result of that. Thank you Keith I love to I'm gonna end with how we traditionally end on our podcast and of course because the universe is perfect you you had a response to this question a little earlier but I didn't ask the question you offered it on your own. Okay so I'm gonna I'm gonna do it in part two and of course you can revisit what you said before or you can choose something different when you are completely free. So Rahina when you think about this journey and what we shared today what are you most proud of I mean my journey as a whole I told you that I'm the most proud of my marriage and it's such um it's really been an opportunity for me to ex for expansion in every way but um yeah that's the the thing that I'm the most proud of and I think what's cool is you you portrayed that throughout the entirety of our discussion what expansion and growth has looked like for you see see and the second question is Rahina today what would you tell Raina when she was first starting out to keep going to keep going to keep showing up for herself um that that was the the very simple thing that made the whole difference show up to that call show up to that store show up for yourself what it is that you need want to do better read that book show up show up for yourself keep showing up and yeah just to keep to keep going and keep walking that's that's really the the only thing that we can do in the only way to get to that expanded space or different space or better space whatever you want to call it is just to keep going through with whatever you have it doesn't matter just keep walking keep walking keep walking see keep moving in Spanish we say llorando pero caminando even if you're crying keep walking yeah beautiful and that's a that expression in Spanish really makes sense llorando pero caminando not let anything hold you back right that even if the emotions are hard or you're feeling saptive energy you can still move ahead yeah and I don't mean it from um corporate kind of way yeah right I'm not like not necessarily doesn't it doesn't go there it's just keep showing up for yourself whatever it is that means just and it's it's tiny tiny steps and it doesn't have to be anything bigger or anything that is defined by corporate standards or corporate structures because you put the definition on that but just keep walking and there we have it everybody so Raina again thank you for being here thank you for all thank you in your way and the way you show up for me for us for all of us and so grateful for you. So thank you everyone for joining us today in this really extraordinary edition of how I financed it with my guest Raina Trillo this is us together signing off. Thank you Keith thank you so much for joining me on this episode of How I Financed It. I encourage you to reach out to me on LinkedIn at Keith Kohler1 and I look forward to connecting there